Modern office buildings typically contain what is known as vertical wiring and horizontal wiring for all data and telecommunications information transfer. Vertical wiring is the wiring that extends from the point where connection with an outside source of the data and telecommunication wires is made, usually in the basement of the building, to each of the several floors of the office building. Horizontal wiring, on the other hand, is the wiring that extends from the telephone closets located on each floor to the various work stations located thereon.
Previously, if it was desired to rearrange an office, for example, rearrange the configuration of a plurality of modular offices, also known as cubicles, it was necessary to reroute all of the horizontal wiring associated with those offices all the way back to the floor's telephone closets. In that this situation made the reconfiguration of offices both expensive and impractical, the TIA/EIA came out with a technical service bulletin entitled "TIA/EIA TSB75" which now permits offices to use so-called consolidation points which serve as intermediate interconnection points between the telephone closets and the various offices the closets serve. These consolidation points can be placed, for example, in separate designated zones of an office floor so that a particular consolidation point services all of the offices within the designated zone. Accordingly, such a consolidation point can be positioned, for example, every 15 to 30 feet such that, if the offices of a particular zone are reconfigured, it will only be necessary to reroute the wires that extend from the individual offices to their associated consolidation point. Therefore, despite the reconfiguration of the office zone, the horizontal wiring that extends from the consolidation points to the telephone closet need not be disrupted.
TIA/EIA TSB75 permits such consolidation points to be located within environmental air spaces of office buildings. Environmental air spaces include the space between the ceiling and the drop ceiling of each floor. In that this space commonly is used for return air of the air conditioning and heating systems of the floor, TIA/EIA TSB75 requires that the consolidation points satisfy certain safety requirements so as to reduce the possibility of the spread of fire and toxic gases within the environmental air space. Accordingly, connections that are made at the consolidation point must be contained in some manner so as to subdue sparks, flames, and gases that could originate from the consolidation point.
From the above, it can be appreciated that it would be desirable to have a device which would facilitate the formation of consolidation points conforming with TIA/EIA TSB75, as well as which would provide for multiple connections with a variety of different types of connectors to simplify office rearranging, and insure a measure of safety in the connections.